Charter of the Forest glyph The Charter of the Forest of 1217 re-established rights of access to the royal forest for free men, rights that had been eroded since King William the Conqueror and his heirs, and many of its provisions remained in force for centuries afterward. It was originally sealed at Old St Paul's Cathedral in London on 6 November 1217 in the name of the young King Henry III, acting under the regency of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, and it redressed abuses of the Anglo-Norman forest law that King William Rufus had extended. It served in many ways as a companion document to Magna Carta and was not repealed until 1971, by the Wild Creatures and Forest Laws Act.
Facts
Identity
SymbolA single leaf, standing for the royal forest whose access rights the charter restored. 1 Sources
1. Charter of the Forest (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead sectionQuote, lead section
The Charter of the Forest of 1217 re-established rights of access for free men to the royal forest that had been eroded by King William the Conqueror and his heirs.
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.